The America COMPETES Act, first enacted in 2007, was drafted in response to " Rising Above the Gathering Storm," the National Academies' report on America's lagging competitiveness in science and technology. The bill authorizes investments in science and engineering research and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education from kindergarten to the postdoctoral level. The House passed the reauthorization bill in May. If the Senate passes the bill, Congress could produce a final bill for the President's signature before the 111 th Congress ends.

NSPE is a member of the STEM Education Coalition, which supports STEM programs for teachers and students at the Department of Education, the National Science Foundation, and other agencies that offer STEM-related programs. The coalition is composed of more than 1,000 diverse groups representing all sectors of the technological workforce.